Tiltable street-post.



c. A. POOLE. TILTABLE STREET POST.

APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 23, l9l6- 'Panentd May14,1918.

EEBIE l i l? i Mi li o TYOOLE, JERSEY CITY, NEW 5' TIL'IABLE STREET-FUSE.

.mmmmm Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented lay 14h Application filed June 23, 1916. Serial No. 105,400.

1 of? whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, (humans it. Poona, residing at Jersey City, in the county of End son and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiltable Street-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a t-iltable street post and the object thereof is to provide a post which may be set up in a thoroughfare as a direction or like signal. and which Collipi'ses means whereby it will automatically ri ht itself in case it should be accidentally iclr over by a passing vehicle.

A. further object to provide improved means for maintaining the post against dis placement from its intended position when struck. and to provide improved means for causing the post to right itself.

A further object is to provide a collapsible cage or lantern structure in connection with the post whereby the likelihood of injury to the lantern or to passing vehicles may be reduced to a minimum.

.l. further object is to provide an improved and efficient means for connecting the post structure to the bed of the thoroughfare. also improved means for providing electrical connection, etc, With the post structure.

Gther objects and aims of the invention more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description, of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and

the scope of protectioncontemplated will be in rated in thc appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification; and in which I have shown a merely preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional vicnthrough a post structure made in accordance with the provisions of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the part of the device which is fixed permanently to the road-bed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional VlQW; and V Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken upon-the plane of line IVEV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the structure which is illustrated therein. the reference character L indicates the body of the post, the reference character G indicates, a box which is fixed permanently in the road-bed, and the reference character H indicates an attaching member which is adapted to be detachably fixed to the cover 1 of the box G and about which the body L is free to swing.

Any suitable means may be employed for detachably connecting the attaching member to the cover 1 but preferably bayonet-slot arrangement is provided. is illustrated, the cover, Which will be hereinafter referred to as the ground plate, is provided with an annular groove 9. therein having an overhanging flange 3, said flange being cut away at opposite points. as at at. to permit the introduction of a pair of hook-sl'laped legs 5 depending from the attaching member H. By inserting the'legs 5 Within the openings at and thereafter rotating the attaching memher the hook-shaped portions of said legs will engage beneath the under surface of the flange 3 and will prevent accidental dis connection of the attaching member, as will be readily understood. It desired. the under surface of the flange 3 may be beveled for more firmly gripping the ends of the legs 5 as the attaching member is rotated.

The upper surface of the attaching memher is frusto-conical' in shape and a series of teeth 6 is provided about the base thereof.

The lower end of the body L is connected to an egg-shaped shell 7 which normally fits down over the frusto-conioal portion of the attaching member, the lower annular edge of said shell being provided With teeth 8 for intermeshing with the teeth 6 to prevent any unintentional rotation of the shell re-latively t0 the attaching member.

In case, for-any reason, the post should be thrown down asinto any one of the dotted positions shown in Fig. l, the teeth 6 and 8 Will'maintain their engagement at least at one point and will insure the proper relative position between the body and the attaching member.

The body L preferably comprises a tubular member having its lower end threaded upon an extension 9 at the upper end of the shell 7.

\Vithin the body L a tube 10 is provided and within said tube a piston head 11. A connecting cable or rod 12 extends from the piston rod 11 downwardly through the tube 10 into connection with the upper end of the attaching member H. spring 1 3 is arranged within the tube 10 tor pressing the piston head upwardly, the lower end ot' the spring resting upon a shoulder ll formed upon the shell 7.

The upper end of the tube 10 is closed by a. cap 15 having a valve 16 therein, said valve being arranged to open when the piston 11 moves downwardly. but to close when the piston moves upwardly. The valve is provided wit'lra small vent therein t'or permitting a gradual upward movement of the piston.

By this means when the post is thrown over to one side, say to the position shown by the dotted lines at the left of Fig. l. the cable will. draw down the piston 11 against the tension ot the spring. the valve 1t; opening to permit tree downward movement of the piston. soon as the post is released the spring will l1lO\( the piston upwardly, and the post. pivoting at the point X. will swing upwardly again into its original position, the valve 16 meanwhile closing to brake the u nvard swinging so as to prevent any undue back and torth movement. or so as to prevent likelihood of injury either to the post or to any person or.prop-. erty that. may be in a position to be struck by the post during the rising movement.

The same operation. of course. willoceur when the post is thrown to any radial p0- itiou.

.tny suitable cage or lantern structure may be provided at the upper end' of the body but preferably a collapsible one is employed.

In the structure illustrated a globe l7 .fixed to the upper end of the body L and a lamp 18 is arranged therein. lt is-intended that the globe 17 be made of a tlexible transparent material. such ascelluloid. mica, or the like, and it is held in normal position, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. by a standardlt) extending upwardly within the same, the lowerend of the standard being fixed to the upper end of the body L. Ahead 20 is provided upon the standard for en gaging against the inner upper end surface of the globe to retain it in normal "position. A series of toggle links 21 are arranged ex teriorly ot the globe so as to form a cage to protect the globe. said toggle links'being "pivotally connected at their lower ends to the upper end of the body L, at, their upper ends to a slide plate 22 slidably engaging the standard 19. When pressure is brought to bear upo the sides of the cage which is formed by the. toggle links. said links are straightened out more or less, as illustrated by the dotted lines. This is accomplished without undue shock to the lamp, or to the globe. and ample protection is thereby atl orded.

The tact that the cage is collapsible is also of material advantage and value for protecting the passing vehicles. For instance. in case a vehicle should knock the post down and run over the same. the cage will be readily collapsed by contact with the under mechanism of the vehicle and injury to the under mechanism of the vehicle will be thus avoided.

The lamp 18 may be supplied from a tank of gas. or from any other suitable source contained within the l)OX G. if desired, in which instance a tube or cable or the like. as '23. will extend upwardly through an opening 2% in the top of the box. thence through an opening '25 in the attaching member H. thence along the inner surface of the shell 7 and upwardly through the body L to the lamp.

Usually, however, the supply for the. lamp is drawn from an outside source through a cable 96. as illustrated.

lt is also a part of this invention to provide a signal device, as 27. in connection with the post adapted to be sounded. or to give a signal by some other means. when for instance tire engines or the like are approaching the vicinity of the. post. For this purpose the cables 26 and 25 may contain wires connected to the tire alarm box. or to some other source. said wires leading to the signal 27 whereby said signal may be caused to operate upon the approach ot' the tire engines, or the like. so that the attendant policeman or guard may be aplot prised of the necessity for clearingthe' thoroughfare preparatory to thepassage of the tire engines. r

Since it is intended that the attaching member H be removed when desired, it 105 becomes necessary to provide means' for closing the opening 24 in the ground plate, or top 1. For this purpose. the ground plate provided with an annular ledge 28 thereon adapted to receive and support a suitable 11o closure member.

.As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the following claims, it is in-' tended that all-matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having'thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 12o ters Patent is: I

1. In a street post, a ground plate, an attaching member detachably connected to said ground plate, a post rn'ovably connected to said attaching member, and resilient meansfor maintaining said post in a normal position. 7 v

2'. ln a street post, a ground plate, an at taching member detachably connected to said ground plate, a post movably connected l3t to said attaching member, and resilient means extending between said attachin member and said post for maintaining sai post in a normal position;

3. In a street post, a ground plate, an attaching member detachably connected to said ground plate, a post connected to said attaching member movable into and out of a normal position, means for urging the post into said normal position, and means for braking the movement of the post into said normal position.

4. A device of the class described, a post, means for resiliently connecting the post to a road-bed or the like, comprising a piston arranged within the post having connection with a vpart fixed to the road-bed, a spring engaging the piston to force the piston upwardly away from the road-bed adapted to be compressed when the piston moves in one direction and adapted thereby to urge the piston in an opposite direction for maintaining the post in av vertical position, and means cooperating with the piston to brake movement thereof in one of the purpose set forth.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a post, a lamp at the upper end of said post, aJoox beneath said post, means for resiliently connecting said post to said box, supply conducting means for said lamp within said box, and extensible means for onnecting said conducting means with said lamp. v I

6. A street post likely to be-k-nocked down by a passing vehicle or the like, means carried thereby likely to be injured by the falling of the cage for said last mentioned means.

7. A street post likely to be knocked down by a passing vehicle or the like, means carsaid directions for post, and a collapsible protecting -ried thereby likely to be injured by the falling of the post, and a flexible globe for said ing of the post, a flexible globe for said last mentioned means, and a collapsible cage for said globe.

10. A street post likely to be knocked down by a passing vehicle or the like, means carried thereby likely to be injured by the falling of the post, a flexible globe for said last mentioned means, a casing for said globe, and means whereby said casing is adapted to flex said globe when pressure is brought to bear laterally upon said casing. 11., A street post likely to be knocked down by a passing vehicle or the like, a signal carried thereby likely to injure the passing vehicle, and means whereby said signal is collapsible to avoid-injury to the vehicle.

12. A street post likely to be knocked down by a passing vehicle or the like, a lamp and means whereby said cage is collapsible to 'avoidinjury' to the passing vehicle. a

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 3 CHARLES A. POOLE.- Witnesses:

' L. Gnssronn HANDY, EMMA WEINBERG/ at the upper end thereof, a cage for said lamp likely to injure the passing vehicle, 

